Brothers of a Different Kind
by TA Maxwell
Summary: Mitsukake story. We all know Amiboshi and Suboshi, the twins of FY. But what if there were two other brothers that didn't even seem like brothers at all. Fate tore them apart six years before and Suzaku brought them back together, brothers of a different


TA: okay, I was just thinkin the other day about how Mitsukake said he'd lost his family in the same flood as Chichiri's, and Nurikos' twisted mind came up with this. 

Nuriko: hey! You're the one who wrote it.

TA: on a lack of sleep due to being out until 10 at night?

Nuriko: So blame her if the story's bad!

TA: *whack*

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"Ni-chan! Wait up!" the 14 year old whined. "I'm not as fast as you and you know it!"

"That's because you have shorter legs!" The boy's older brother laughed, coming to a stop to wait.

"You laugh. I'll be bigger than you someday," The boy crossed his arms as he reached his brother's side.

"Not in this lifetime, Juan." The older sibling rustled his brother's hair, grinning. "Come on, Hikou and Kouran are probably already there by now."

"I'm comin'."

To look at them, Ri Houjun and Ri Juan didn't seem to be related at all, much less brothers. Neither looked anything like the other. Houjun always kept his blue hair pulled back except for his short bangs hanging around his dark red eyes. Everyone said he got his looks from his mother's side. Juan, younger by two years, got their father's and was practically the spitting image with his greenish-black hair cut short and hanging free. Houjun and his two friends, Hikou and Kouran, were never seen without the little Ri Juan behind. He was "little" because he had been born small, and wasn't expected to get much bigger than he already was.

" 'Jun! Juan!" Hikou was waiting alright, Kouran beside him. Juan smirked up at Houjun. Sure enough, his big brother had a light blush as the girl, a year younger than Houjun, waved. Juan jabbed his older brother in the stomach and his blush turned to an embarrassed one with accompanying grin. Juan knew his brother had a crush on Kouran, whether or not he would ever tell her. 

It was a year later Houjun finally told her, and the next year they became engaged. Juan was 16 and STILL short. None of the group of friends expected that soon, their lives would be torn apart.

"Jun-chan?" Juan blinked, looking up from his work. Houjun had just busted through the front door and into the house and was now digging through their father's woodwork tools. He paused his search, but never looked up.

"This is over, Juan…" he whispered, his voice frighteningly dangerous.

"What's ov-" Juan couldn't finish as his older brother withdrew a sharp knife from the tools.

"Life."

Juan's eyes opened wide as rain started to fall through the open door. As long as he had lived, rain always meant something ominous in the village. It seemed this time the rain had come from him.

"But not before I end Hikou's." Without another word, Houjun ran out into the now pouring rain.

"Houjun!!" Juan shouted. The young, small teen was frightened. Why did Houjun want to kill his best friend? What was going on? Juan grabbed a piece of paper and a quill, scribbling a quick message to his parents before running out after his fury-blinded brother. The rain was coming down hard, nearly blinding him.

"HOUJUN!" he called again. People were running around him for their homes. 

"Juan, get to the house!" a man shouted over the rain. Juan recognized his father's voice, but he couldn't see him well. 

"I've got to find Houjun!" he shouted back. Houjun and Hikou had always met by the river next to the town. This was the spot where Juan ran to. Through the rain, he could barely see them, but more he could see their movement. Houjun had the upper hand, but Hikou was holding his ground.

"Give her back!" Houjun yelled, throwing himself at Hikou.

"She's dead Houjun! She did it to herself!" Hikou defended.

"You took her from me! Give her back, traitor!" 

Kouran. Kouran was dead…because of Hikou? Things were clearing up in Juan's mind, but not in the rain. This was going to be a fight to the death, and over a woman. Someone was going to die. His brother could die. No…no…

"Houjun, stop!!" Juan cried, tears stinging his eyes. Almost unwillingly, his legs started running towards them. He had to do something. Stop them. Houjun froze as he heard his brother's cry. Hikou took the opportunity to attack. His knife drove into Houjun's arm. In reaction, Houjun swung around violently, his throw pushing Hikou to the edge of a plateau a few feet above the river. The rain had made the ground slick, and would be detrimental to the situation. Hikou couldn't keep his balance. He fell over the edge.

_No…_Juan's feet carried him towards the two as Houjun dove to the edge of the plateau, grabbing Hikou's hand. But he couldn't pull him up. The river was pulling him away. That was why Juan kept running. It was the ground that wouldn't let him stop. From ground to river. Juan felt the water surround him, pull him away just as a drowned out voice shouted his name. The river threw his head against a rock, and the teen felt coldness sweep over him as he blacked out.

It was a few days later Juan's eyes opened. As his vision cleared, so did the face of a young girl leaning over him.

"So, you're awake now," she grinned. "Thought you weren't gonna for a while there."

Juan laid there silent for a moment as he tried to remember what had happened. It came back to him in pieces. Houjun…Hikou…knife…fight…water…it all pieced together in his memory.

"I'm…still alive?" he whispered.

"Yes, you are. But you were only barely when I found you floating on a log nearby. Guess you were a victim of the flood."

"Flood?"

The girl nodded.

"The flood that hit the city down by the river, about five days walk away. Say no one survived it. I don't believe it, because now you're a survivor."

A flood. That no one survived. That meant Houjun was dead. Hikou. Mom and Dad, everyone. Dead. A tear fell down his cheek as the realization hit him.

"So…I'm an orphan now?"

"I guess so," a new voice spoke. Juan looked over towards the voice. The speaker was an elderly man with a kind smile. Probably pity.

"Where am I?" the question came easily.

"You're in Chôkô. In my home," the man answered.

"I found you floating down the river."

Juan smiled lightly. The girl was pretty, and looked about his age.

"My name is Juan," he said quietly.

"Shouka," the girl replied. "And this is Myo-sensei."

"It's an honor to meet you."

Shouka and Juan grew close over their time together, and Juan was adopted as the son of Myo-sensei, as he called him respectfully. It was four years after the flood the newly named Myo Juan discovered himself to be a Suzaku seishi, his symbol for sorrow embed in the palm of his hand. Myo-sensei taught him doctoring before he died that year. Juan became a healer, traveling, often with Shouka, to gather herbs for medicine and heal the ill or dying. But the year after, it was not enough to save his beloved. Just as his brother had lost his love to the hand of death, so did the younger sibling. Juan took to the life of a hermit outside of town. The following year Juan took on the name of Mitsukake, the healer of Suzaku when he was discovered by the priestess and three of her seishi. To be found, he had to suffer as he watched his loved one die a second time, as he healed her from the demon she was possessed with. The journey back to the capital of Konan would lead him to the strangest and most wonderful encounter of his life.

"Welcome back no da!!" 

Tasuki, Mitsukake and Chiriko all widened eyes as a small being attacked the priestess. Nuriko laughed.

"What the hell is that?!" Tasuki shouted, pointing as the stranger made a pouting face. "Some typa squirrel?" He looked more like the cat Mitsukake had taken as a companion.

"That's Chichiri, a seishi like you!" Nuriko laughed before adding, "and he hasn't changed a bit."

"You expected me to no da?"

At closer look, the seishi was indeed human, and a monk. His face was strange though. 

"Where's Hotohori run off to?" Chiriko looked around curiously. The regal seishi had buggered off (AN: I love that phrase….MONTY PYTHON FOREVER!! *ehe* back to ficcy). 

"Oh come on, you mean you don't know yet? Hotohori's-"

"Please, Nuriko, no need."

The seishi had appeared again before them, dressed overly royally.

"Your majesty, the kingdom rejoices at your safe return no da!" Chichiri said happily. The poor monk must have been lonely, or at least he gave the impression of being so. As the monk looked around at the newly found seishi, he froze when his eyes rested on Mitsukake. Mitsukake seemed to get a feeling of recognition looking at the smaller man, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Hotohori insisted everyone come with him for dinner then. Mitsukake paused as a hand grabbed his wrist.

"Juan?" a strange voice whispered, almost choked. Mitsukake turned around to see Chichiri. The monk reached up to his face and removed what was apparently a cat-like mask. A frightful scar sealed his left eye shut, but now Juan realized why Chichiri was so familiar.

"J-Jun-chan?" It was the first name that came to mind. The two looked at each other in shock for a moment before simultaneously embracing.

"J-Juan! It's you! Oh, Suzaku I don't believe it's you!"

"Jun-chan…" Juan's mouth twitched into a grin. "You got short."

Houjun looked up at his younger brother, tears in his open eye.

"How'd you get to tall anyway?"

"Good food in Chôkô."

"I thought you'd died in the river…" Houjun choked. He was obviously getting emotional about this. Juan was as well, but after the events with Shouka, he wasn't used to crying anymore. He couldn't.

"I thought you'd been killed in the flood," he replied.

"I almost was." Here, Houjun looked down at his feet.

"Did…Hikou-" Juan hadn't finished before Houjun nodded.

"A log…hit me in the face." His hand moved up to his scarred eye. "And I….let…go…" 

Juan paused, then rested a hand on Houjun's shoulder.

"So, you're Chichiri now?"

Houjun nodded.

"And Mitsukake."

"Yes."

"Chichiri!! Mitsukake! Come on!!" Miaka called, peering around the edge of the palace. Chichiri chuckled.

"We should go before she eats all the food no da." Chichiri replaced his mask. Mitsukake nodded, and after sharing another embrace, the two walked off towards the dining room not only as two reunited siblings, but the chosen of Suzaku. Brothers of a different kind. 

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Totally impossible, I know, but I still wanted to do it and I did it even if it's bad. Tell me what you think, please? *points to review button with puppy dogs eyes on*


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